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Featured Articles

Simple Wisdom
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered to be a very early stage of Alzheimer’s disease, a stage when it may be possible to halt the degenerative process in the brain responsible for Alzheimer’s. Although there are several pharmaceuticals on the market that are used for treating this devastating mental disease, long-term results show that there is only little gain in symptom relief.

Fair Trade
You’ve probably seen the logo while browsing the aisles at your natural products store: Fair Trade Certified chocolate, coffee, tea, herbs, or maybe even wine. Fair trade is a socially responsible food movement that aims to empower farmers by offering a premium price for their harvest. Choosing Fair Trade Certified products is one way to make your dollars matter and have a positive global impact.

Brain-Protective Nutrients
It’s well documented that the omega-3s in fish are linked to benefits for the heart, and new research adds to evidence that they benefit the brain as well. In a study of 260 healthy elderly individuals, researchers found that those who ate baked or broiled fish regularly lowered their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Participants were tracked for an average of 10 years. Researchers compared changes in brain scans with food questionnaires that the participants answered. Those who ate fish at least once a week (most consumed fish one to four times a week) showed less brain-cell loss in regions of the brain responsible for regulating memory than non-fish-eaters. They showed stronger short-term memory, which allowed them to perform tasks more efficiently.A separate study also adds eggs, chicken, milk, and kidney beans—or foods containing choline—to the list of brain foods. Researchers studied nearly 1,400 adults between the ages of 36 and 83 and found that those with high intakes of choline performed better on memory tests and were less likely to show changes
in the brain associated with dementia. Although the difference in memory test scores between the highcholine intake group and the low-intake group were small, study authors say that the findings suggest that people with lower choline intakes are more likely to be on a “pathway” toward mental decline.